


Heed My Every Order

by inkand_paper (Fabuest)



Category: Transformers Generation One
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-24
Updated: 2010-12-24
Packaged: 2017-11-04 19:54:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/397611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fabuest/pseuds/inkand_paper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If everyone would just listen to Prowl, bad things wouldn't happen as often.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heed My Every Order

**Author's Note:**

> A Christmas gift fic for [deviantart.com profile] azur3sk1es. She asked for Sunstreaker and Prowl, either as a pairing or gen.

_:Sunstreaker, hold your position. Do_ ** _not_** _make yourself a target,_ Prowl ordered over the mission comm. Allowing Sunstreaker to participate in the extraction had not been a tactically sound decision, but Optimus Prime had insisted and, outranked, Prowl had been forced to acquiesce.  
  
 _:They're hurting him_ _!_ Sunstreaker sent back desperately. _We need to move in!_  
  
 _:Negative. Hold your position. Bluestreak, there are two targets at the entry point.  
  
:Take them out? _ the young sniper asked.  
  
 _:Affirmative. Sunstreaker,_ ** _hold your position._**  
  
Too late. The frontliner had transformed and peeled out, tires squealing as he accelerated toward the designated entry point. At least he was sticking to mission parameters, and Prowl would have smiled if not for the uncomfortably high probability that Sunstreaker was going to get them all killed.  
  
The first of Bluestreak's targets fell. The second raised a weapon and fired on Sunstreaker, who transformed back to root mode and leapt at the Decepticon, energon blades extended.  
  
 _:Sunstreaker, fall back,_ he ordered, though he didn't expect the command to have any effect. _Mirage, get in there as soon as you can and get those 'bots out.  
  
:I can't get a clean shot, Prowl, _ Bluestreak reported after a moment's pause. _I'll take Sunny out if I try.  
  
:If Mirage can get in, you won't have to, _ Prowl responded, keeping a close optic on Sunstreaker's combat. It was obvious that he had had his beginnings in the gladiatorial rings, with the brutal but non-life-threatening injuries he inflicted on his opponent. A clean, quick kill would be much less dangerous and more efficient, but Sunstreaker had yet to learn that. Which was exactly why he fell with a cry when the Decepticon (whom he should easily have deactivated by now) got in a sudden shot to his face.  
  
 _:Take him out **now** , Bluestreak! _Prowl ordered, breaking his own cover and racing to cross the distance between himself and Sunstreaker. The 'con's last action was to actuate its trigger finger, weapon pointed directly at Sunstreaker's spark chamber. A shot from Bluestreak's plasma rifle punched through the Decepticon's own spark chamber with deadly accuracy, the force of the the impact rocking the 'con's whole frame backward.  
  
A transmission came through from Mirage just as Prowl dropped to his knees at Sunstreaker's side: _:I'm in._  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
"I recommended he stay behind for a reason, Prime."  
  
Optimus flinched away from his flat statement, and for a nanoklik Prowl felt guilty for being himself. However, the fact remained that had Prowl's original extraction plan been followed, this would not have happened.  
  
"You are right, Prowl. I am sorry. If there was any way I could-"  
  
"The past cannot be changed, Prime. What is done is done."  
  
Optimus stared down at the cluttered surface of his desk. Prowl knew from experience that the Autobot leader was able to admit to his mistakes and learn from them, but it was still difficult for him to deal with the fallout of his mistakes. He hesitated, then reached out and laid a servo on Optimus' forearm.  
  
"The blame does not lie solely on you, Optimus. There were factors outside of any of our control."  
  
The larger mech looked up at him with something like gratitude in his optics. "In my processor I know that to be true, but in my spark I cannot help but feel responsible for the life of every mech under my command."  
  
"And that," Prowl pointed out with a faint smile, "is why you are the leader of this army, and I am only the second in command. I leave all tact, diplomacy, and compassion to you."  
  
"Thank you, Prowl."  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
"Standing there is not going to make him come back online."  
  
Prowl startled a little at the sound of Ratchet's voice. He hadn't heard the medic come in.  
  
"No. I don't expect it to."  
  
"Feeling guilty?" Ratchet came to stand beside him at the medical berth Sunstreaker was laid out on.  
  
"No. If he had followed my orders this would not have happened." And yet, somewhere in his spark, he did feel a pang of guilt. He could have fought harder against Optimus' conviction that Sunstreaker should be reunited with his twin as soon as was feasible. He could have refused the frontliner a place in the team of special ops mechs. He could have stationed Sunstreaker in closer proximity to another of the team members, had a plan in place to restrain him should he bolt. He could have done more.  
  
Ratchet grunted in response.  
  
"Was this my fault?" Prowl wondered out loud, before he could process the words.  
  
"I've read the reports, Prowl. There was nothing you could have done. Sunstreaker broke cover and attacked a 'con against orders. If anyone is to blame, it is him."  
  
"He shouldn't have been on that mission," Prowl said softly.  
  
"True as that is, I can see where Prime was coming from. It isn't wise to leave spark twins separated for long periods of time."  
  
Prowl glanced up sharply. "How is Sideswipe doing?"  
  
"He was in stasis when Mirage found them, and he hasn't come online since. I honestly can't tell if it's because of what the 'con's did to him, or what they did to Sunstreaker. I still need to make a few repairs, but they aren't urgent. He'll be back up eventually."  
  
"I am glad to hear that."  
  
Ratchet nodded and left him alone at the berthside. He took one last, long look at the darkened optics in Sunstreaker's reconstructed face, then turned and walked out of the medbay.  
  
*-*-*-*-*  
  
Someone in the next berth over hissed in pain.  
  
"Sorry, Prowl," Ratchet grunted. "I think this is the last shard."  
  
Prowl's regular clipped tones answered. "Understood." There was a short pause, and then Prowl continued, "Whoever set that up will be on extended patrol in Arizona for the next meta-cycle when I find them out."  
  
Sunstreaker grinned. It was interesting to think of someone else getting stuck on punishment duty for once.  
  
"And whoever it was, they'll deserve it," Ratchet affirmed. "Golf balls are not an appropriate munition for that catapult Sideswipe rigged up last stellar cycle."  
  
"Green paint was not an appropriate munition either, Ratchet."  
  
Sunstreaker snickered. "But it looked _so_ good on you, Prowl."  
  
He onlined his optics in time to see Ratchet whirl toward him, wielding a delicate pair of tweezers. "Sunstreaker!"  
  
"The one and only," he smirked.  
  
"The only one who'd be so reckless," Ratchet snapped, ignoring Prowl's protested "That's not strictly true."  
  
"You're lucky to be _alive_ , you glitch. What on Cybertron were you thinking?"  
  
Sunstreaker was tempted to tune out Ratchet's rant, which was sure to be long and loud, but he was more than a little curious as to how he'd survived. The last thing he remembered was taking a shot to the- to the _face_. "I need to see a mirror!" he interrupted.  
  
"You can see a mirror later. I'm _talking_ to you right now. Do you realize how lucky you are? Either that 'çon had slagging bad aim, or he was dead before he pulled the trigger, because he missed your spark chamber by _this much_!" Ratchet demonstrated the distance with his thumb and first finger, and it was... frighteningly small. "So you better be thanking Bluestreak for his timing, because I doubt if the 'con couldn't hit a target that size from where he was standing."  
  
"Is that even possible?" he asked incredulously.  
  
"To pull a trigger when you're dead?" Ratchet asked. "Yes. The spark is not the only source of energy in a frame; if a command is sent but not fulfilled before a mech dies, the frame can and will obey that command, especially if it's something as small as actuating a trigger finger. That's likely what happened in your case, which is the reason you're still alive."  
  
"Cool. Can I see that mirror now?"  
  
Ratchet forced the air out of his vents in a sigh. "I'll go get it, you slagger. Just don't pull anything like that again."  
  
As Ratchet turned to leave, Prowl stood up from the berth he had occupied. "I'm glad to see you back online, Sunstreaker," he said. "Do not ever disobey direct orders again. The whole base was worried about you."  
  
And with that, he left the medbay. Sunstreaker frowned. _The whole base, huh?_ That was... something to think about.


End file.
